The political outlook of blacks in America has undergone dramatic swings in the last ten years — from the depths of powerlessness during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, to the zenith with the election of the first black president, Barack Obama. Now, with another presidential election looming, blacks are again confronting new issues as they judge [...]

City of Exquisite Decadence(Counterpunch)When she screened a film , Pauline Kael usually sat in the back row, directly under the projector.A Dramatically breaching cinema decorum, she talked during the showings, especially during porn flicks, loudly narrating the action in an arch tone to the great annoyance of the men in trench coats seated attentively in front of her, who were ... (more)

African-American - News October 30, 2011

Teena Marie(KMJM-FM Saint Louis)No white artist sang R&B more convincingly than Teena Marie, whose big, robust vocals were so black-sounding that when she was starting out, some listeners wondered if she was a light-skinned African-American. Marie grew up in west Los Angeles in a neighborhood that was nicknamed "Venice Harlem" bec... MORE

Friday, October 28, 2011

We recently launched a series titled ”Prisons and Projects” which takes a look at these two monoliths and the effects they’ve had on the African American community.

We recently created an infographic titled: “Prison Facts.”

The figures here highlight America’s entirely unique approach to crime and punishment, where race, class, long sentences and industry collide to make the world’s largest and most expensive prison systems in the world.

At 23 years old, Nejdra Nance learned the woman she had called Mom for her entire life may have actually been her kidnapper. Nance – born Carlina White – disappeared from Harlem hospital in 1987, and reunited recently reunited with her birth parents. Never before in America had so much time lapsed between a kidnapping and a reunion.

Then, there are the rumors of a falling out between her and her now-separated birth parents that centered around money.

Although the story has unfolded in a way that's sometimes been messy, the woman at the center of the saga tells New York Magazine she's happy that she finally knows the truth. “There was a part of me that wasn’t even there, and now I feel whole. Even in the beginning of the year, with all the drama and stuff, I was kind of cloudy," she said. "But now I know who I am. That’s the main thing—just to find out where you come from and who you are."

In a blog entry at The Root DC, Editor Robert E. Pierre checks in on the reason for the Washington Redskins' popularity among blacks. He says that while the team's origins are rooted in racism, blacks became more accepting after the owners signed their first black players in 1962. Many of those players became ambassadors who helped stamp out the team's racist image.

The Washington Redskins franchise gave black Washingtonians plenty of reasons to loathe them. They were marketed as the "Team of the South." The band played "Dixie," a nod to Old South nostalgia.

There was no mention, of course, of the lynchings, the Ku Klux Klan or any of that unseemly business of denial of an education and basic human rights. But there didn’t need to be. The message was clear. The Redskins were the last segregated National Football League team.

But when the team finally relented in 1962, and began signing black players, the tide began to turn. These players became the team's ambassadors who turned around the image of a franchise that didn't want or deserve the support of the region's black residents.

An HIV/AIDS prevention agency in Harlem has launched a new campaign concentrating on a demographic that is not normally targeted: black heterosexual men. Its campaign posters can be seen throughout Central Harlem, East Harlem and the South Bronx, where its other branches are located. The poster, illustrating a brawn, black male standing poised is currently stationed at several bus shelters in the city.

The campaign is sponsored by the Iris House, a community-based organization that meets the needs of women, families and at-risk communities infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. The goal of the heterosexual male targeted campaign is to increase awareness, shared sexual responsibility, openness and honesty, according to the agency.

Though the 8-year-old agency was established to provide care for HIV-infected minority women, in October 2010, the Iris House decided to turn its focus to what Executive Director Ingrid Floyd called a “forgotten population.” Floyd said most HIV/AIDS programs target women or gay and bisexual men, but that the agency sought to “fill that gap,” by tailoring a program for black heterosexual men.

The campaign, dubbed “Keep It 100” is named after a commonly used phrase in the black community, which means to be honest.

The idea of targeting heterosexual men came about, after the agency analyzed data on their female clientele, which revealed that 90 percent of them said that they contracted HIV/AIDS from their male partners. Floyd said the Iris House decided to analyze the data after they noticed a pattern in its clientele and the national rates of women infected by men.

“We decided in 2008 when completing our strategic plan that we had to begin providing services for the men in their lives and in the community since no other places were targeting heterosexual men,” Floyd said.

“We wanted to figure out a way to engage the men in the prevention education so that we don’t just put the responsibility on the women.”

The black and Latino populations account for the highest rate of new infections per 100,000 people in the United States, according to 2009 federal data from the Centers for Disease Control. The center also cites New York as the state with the highest number of AIDS diagnoses. Among racial and gender demographics, black men accounted for the highest new infection cases, according to Centers for Disease Control data.

Central Harlem and East Harlem, where the Iris House does most of its outreach, have the second and third highest infection rate in the city, according to 2008 data from the New York City HIV/AIDS Annual Surveillance Statistics.

Patrick Wilson, a professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods like Central Harlem and East Harlem experience high rates of HIV/AIDS infections because of a prevalence in poverty, and socioeconomic disadvantages.

“People have less access to health care and HIV testing,” he said. Wilson said many members of the black community don’t have a desire to get tested because there is still a stigma of promiscuity that is lobbed with HIV/AIDS.

Nevertheless, Wilson cautioned that the high concentration of HIV infections among black, gay and bisexual men remains an epidemic in the community.

Among black men who have sex with men, there were more new HIV infections (52%) among young black men who have sex with men aged 13–29 years, than any other racial or ethnic age group, according to CDC data.

As a result, Wilson says, the Iris House should focus on black men in general, not just heterosexual men.

“Sexual identity is very fluid,” he said. “One can be gay today, and heterosexual tomorrow.”

Wilson said non-heterosexuality remains a stigma in the community, which may cause men not to disclose their sexual identity. For this reason, Wilson questions the effectiveness such a campaign could have, for the long run, in the community.

However, the Iris House also offers a program geared toward black men who have sex with men called d-Up!, a Centers for Disease Control approved intervention program. According to the agency’s website, d-Up! is designed to change social norms and perceptions of black MSM regarding condom use.

Men, both heterosexual and homosexual, report more negative attitudes about condom use than do women, according to data from the American Psychological Association.

Floyd said the Keep It 100 campaign and the agency’s other outreach programs stress the importance of partners engaging in healthy conversations about sex and their HIV status, “before going to the bedroom.”

“It’s the only way to make sure that you are being responsible for yourself,” Floyd said. “That’s the message we want people to get.”

Men who come to the Iris House are encouraged to participate in group workshops, where they are shown videos that encourage them to avoid unprotected sex and be honest about their sexual history with their partners. The agency also provides one-on-one counseling and free testing. Floyd said the Iris House does community outreach, and supplies free condoms to local barbershops, beauty shops, and local businesses.

The agency is also using technology as a means of marketing its Keep It 100 campaign. Around the city, the campaign posters feature small bar codes that can lead smart phone users to the campaign’s website. From there, Floyd says, they can get additional information about the program and its services.

The Iris House was established in 1993, and was named after an AIDS advocate who died of the disease in the 1980s. Until recently, the agency exclusively focused on infected women and their families. Within a year, Floyd said the Iris House hopes to have 75 to 100 men participating in the Keep It 100 one-on-one and group workshops.

The Keep It 100 campaign is funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

While the party seems to be from a African American company for African American club-goers, the term “coon” is considered a racial slur. It is not clear why the party is called “Coon-O-Ween” other that the raccoon on the flyer.

DeadSpin reports:

Not so much. A couple of tipsters have alerted us to Talib’s participation in “Da First Eva Coon-O-Ween Party,” a Tampa-based Halloween party/wack rap show that’s scheduled for Sunday, when the Bucs are on a bye. (Click here to view the full flyer.) For $40, per the ad, you can see Tom G, Famous Kid Brick, Tae Bae Bae, Teddy P, Ms. Heather Marie, Rated R, and Young AJ, with a complementary buffet. “Aquib [sic] Talib” is listed as a special guest, with “other Bucs guests” promised on the flyer.

UPDATE: The Bucs emailed us a statement. “Hi there. I wanted to inform you that Aqib is not involved in the event.” Noted.

A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty today to being part of a black market kidney ring stretching from Israel to NYC. Levy Itzhak Rosenbaum, 60, admitted that he bought kidneys for cheap in Israel then sold them to needy people in America for huge sums of money. "I am what you call a matchmaker...I've never had a failure," he was caught on tape telling an FBI informant posing as a potential client. [ more › ]

One day after Andrew Lopez (18), Kristian Lopez (17), and Jonathan Carrasquillo (22) were arrested for the rooftop shooting that killed pregnant mom Zurana Horton, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Joe Hynes attended "A Cup of Joe with Joe" in East Flatbush with Assemblyman Karim Camara and Councilman Jumaane Williams.

I asked DA Hynes the question folk in Brownsville have been asking: Will there be a plea deal available for Ms. Horton's killers?

"There will be no plea bargains, at all," said DA Hynes. "They have crossed the line. I have lots of programs for people before they cross the line. But, if you use a gun to kill one of our people, or use a gun to hurt one of our people, no plea bargain."

Rev. Al Sharpton will eulogize Zurana Horton on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011 at Cornerstone Baptist Church located at 570 Lewis Avenue. The wake will be 3:30-5:30pm. The funeral will be 5:30-7:30pm.

African-American - News October 28, 2011

Judge approves settlement for black farmers(Reuters)A federal judge on Thursday approved a $1.25 billion settlement in a decades-old discrimination case by black farmers, clearing the way for them to seek compensation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for being left out of farm aid programs.

Peta attacked for 'insulting' lawsuit for 'slave' whales(The First Post)CONTROVERSIAL animal rights group Peta is in deep water again. By bringing a lawsuit against marine park Seaworld San Diego for 'enslaving' five killer whales, Peta risks the ire of African-Americans offended that the group is using the 13th amendment - designed to prevent slavery - to justify demands for animal rights.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The NYPD officer who pepper sprayed Occupy Wall Street protestors for no apparent reason last month, has been transferred out of his station to work in Staten Island.

The officer, Anthony Bologna, has been reassigned from his position of Deputy Inspector to Special Projects Coordinator. He will also lose 10 paid vacation days, docked from his $154,000 annual salary.

Harlem - News October 27, 2011

Five Things You Need to Know Today, Oct. 27(Patch)Here are five things you need to know today: A 1) SNOW?!: Isn't that just a dreary thought? The National Weather Service is forecasting a 100 percent chance of precipitation today, along with temperatures in the mid-40s. The NWS says we'll see rain today, but snow tonight.

Harlem Arts Alliance a oeHarlem Miles Marathon Arts Weeka(Harlem World)HARLEM Arts Alliance's presentation of "Harlem Miles Marathon Arts Week" is a collective celebration of Harlem's vibrant arts and cultural landscape during the week-long lead up to the NYC Marathon.A New Yorkers and visitors from around the world will be treated to cutting edge presentations by local, national and international artists during this ... (more)

The New York Police Department’s “Stop and Frisk” policy is under fire in the wake of a controversy involving a Staten Island officer caught on tape bragging about falsely arresting a Black man after a stop.

The Top Twelve Reasons Why So Many Good Black Men are Still Single(Weekend)Television, radio, and the Internet have been buzzing nonstop for years about the plight of single, black women looking for love, but what about all the single, black men? Nobody's been bold enough to take a stand and speak out on behalf of all the good, single black men out there looking for love too.